"Holy sh*t!"
"Danzō... that withered old hag... are they even human?"
"Those animals! The Third Hokage didn't even want to kill them, yet those two manipulated a child into slaughtering his own clan?"
"This is insane. Did he actually agree to it?"
The audience was appalled by the rogue actions of Danzō Shimura and Koharu Utatane. But more than that, they were baffled by Uchiha Itachi's incomprehensible mental gymnastics.
"Didn't he already awaken his Dojutsu?"
"The f*ck? He pledges loyalty to Konoha before awakening his eyes, but even after gaining that power, he still decides to massacre his kin for the village? What was the point of the power-up?"
"What kind of twisted logic is that?"
To the viewers, Itachi's so-called "focus on the bigger picture" was utter nonsense.
If he truly cared about the bigger picture, he would have seen that Hiruzen Sarutobi was willing to discuss the issue with Fugaku. With proper communication, the Uchiha clan could have survived peacefully.
But now? Itachi had clearly gone off the deep end.
Killing every Uchiha capable of fighting would mean wiping out the clan's military might, leaving only the weak and defenseless. In their current state, the Uchiha were already surrounded by predators despite having numerous strong shinobi. If only a few weaklings remained, their eventual fate was easy to imagine.
As for Danzō and Koharu's promises?
Complete bullsh*t. Not even a dog would believe them.
Inside the room, Yagyu Masahiko frowned slightly as he watched the broadcast.
The current situation had deviated significantly from the original timeline. Shisui had already joined forces with Obito. Without Shisui's death serving as a catalyst—and assuming Masahiko hadn't been exposed—Obito might not be so willing to let the highly suspicious Itachi join the Akatsuki.
Danzō's original plan shouldn't work in this variable-filled reality. Unless... Danzō's primary target wasn't Obito or the mysterious organization behind him, but Shisui himself?
Furrowing his brow, Masahiko dragged the progress bar forward.
In the next scene, Sasuke was sprinting down the street when he suddenly cried out, "Ouch!" crashing straight into Uchiha Fugaku.
Sasuke hurriedly explained about his sparring match the next day. Contrary to his usual stoicism, Fugaku spoke to Sasuke with a gentle, affectionate tone. The heartwarming sequence ended with Sasuke's eyes reddening, moved by his father's rare approval.
The scene shifted. After Fugaku finished guiding Sasuke through his Taijutsu training and left for other business, Itachi appeared by his brother's side.
Bathed in the twilight, Itachi held Sasuke's hand as they walked. The younger brother chattered excitedly about their father's praise.
Everything looked so perfect.
"The sunset, the street, the father and son, the brothers... this scene is absolutely beautiful. But the moment I think about what comes next... damn it, you really know how to farm our tears!"
"Wait, did they say 'tomorrow' in the plot? Oh god. I can already picture Sasuke coming home victorious, only to walk into that scene."
"Don't do it! Put down the knife!"
"Itachi, you utter bastard. You deserve to die! Sasuke is absolutely right to hate you!"
Originally, the audience found it hard to sympathize with Sasuke's extreme psychological shift. But seeing such a picturesque, wholesome composition made the impending tragedy all the more visceral.
If one had never possessed warmth, perhaps the cold wouldn't bite so hard. The cruelest thing in the world is to be given everything, only to have it ripped away in a single night.
The camera cut to the warm interior of the Uchiha home. Sasuke ate dinner with his family—the warmest, happiest meal of his life. After a bath, he felt the heavy drag of exhaustion, yet he fought the urge to sleep.
He waited until Itachi emerged, then looked up with beaming eyes. "Nii-san, can you come pick me up tomorrow? I'm definitely going to win!"
Itachi's gaze darkened. He crouched down, his fingers reaching out to gently tap Sasuke's forehead.
"I have a mission tomorrow, so I won't be able to pick you up. Forgive me, Sasuke."
"Ouch!"
Sasuke pouted, rubbing his forehead. "Fine, then. Be careful on your mission."
"..."
"Un."
Itachi's voice was low and heavy as he watched Sasuke retreat to his room.
The screen lingered on the empty hallway for a moment before fading to black.
As the ending theme began to play, the screen was instantly completely obscured by a deluge of bullet comments, almost all of them screaming "Heartache for Sasuke."
"I get the feeling Itachi wasn't tricked by Danzō. He wanted to do this all along; he just didn't have the backing before."
"+1."
"I'm just waiting to see how crazy he gets in the next episode. Starting today, I support Sasuke putting a knife in this traitor."
"Old Thief Masahiko, do something! Kill this guy!"
"Old Thief, hurry up and flex your power! +1"
Usually, viewers complained that the episodes were too short. Today, however, the discussion was entirely focused on the plot, united in their hatred for Uchiha Itachi. Many were actively praying for Masahiko or Shisui to slaughter Itachi in the next episode.
Masahiko sat back, genuinely shaken by the final product.
Idiots really are incurable, he thought.
Shisui was determined to throw his life away; Masahiko had tried to persuade him, but Shisui went anyway.
Now, Itachi was determined to massacre his clan. Before, one could argue Itachi had no one to consult. But now? Hiruzen had tried to mediate. Fugaku had tried to reason.
Yet, with just a little stirring from Danzō and Koharu, all that ideological work had gone to waste.
[Acting Progress: S-Rank]
[Comprehensive Assessment...]
[You have ignited a heated discussion in this episode, receiving immense attention and popularity. Your performance reward has been upgraded.]
[Reward Received: Mid-Rank Skill Copy Card]
Masahiko glanced at the notification.
Having used a similar item before, he knew the mechanics well: the higher the rank of the target's Jutsu, the greater the returns. However, given the unpredictable nature of the impending conflict, holding onto the card offered greater tactical flexibility than spending it immediately.
After a moment of deliberation, Masahiko decided to save the card.
He reopened the holographic screen and dragged the progress bar back, studying the interaction between Itachi and Sasuke frame by frame. He paused, staring intently at Itachi's expression.
"'Tomorrow'..." Masahiko muttered, tapping his pen against the desk as he extrapolated the timeline.
If the massacre was scheduled for tomorrow night, Danzō would undoubtedly need Masahiko's cooperation to keep Sasuke detained at the Academy or elsewhere, ensuring the boy didn't interfere with Itachi's resolve.
"The outcome will be decided by tomorrow night at the latest."
With a working hypothesis in place, he began to consider the potential applications for his precious Mid-Rank Skill Copy Card.
Fire Style, Water Style, Earth Style, Lightning Style.
These were the four avenues he was considering.
Fire Style was excellent for disguising his identity and creating chaos. Water Style would expand the versatility of his "Man in the Black Robe" persona.
Earth Style offered escape routes.
Lightning Style, however, was particularly appealing. Utilizing Lightning Style Chakra to stimulate his cells would grant a significant boost to his physical speed—crucial for engaging or disengaging from the battlefield at will.
After weighing his options, Masahiko reached under his bed and pulled out a scroll.
It was the Sealing Scroll Shisui had left behind.
Sealing scrolls were expensive and considered controlled strategic goods in Konoha, usually requiring registration to purchase. That was why he had kept this one.
Now, it would serve its purpose.
He performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating a duplicate. Then, utilizing the scroll's formula, he assisted the clone in sealing itself inside the parchment.
He waited until his stamina and mental energy recovered before creating a second clone.
"And there's one more contingency..."
"An apparatus for preserving eyes."
"In case I need to coordinate with medical ninjutsu for an immediate transplant, I can use the Sealing Scroll to preserve my original eyes."
Only after Masahiko had prepared for every grim possibility did he allow himself to fall into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
After waking up, Masahiko sealed two more Shadow Clones into the scroll.
He didn't have any classes scheduled for the morning, but he arrived at the Ninja Academy on time anyway. On the surface, he was there to arrange the logistics for today's joint sparring session.
In reality, he was waiting for orders.
And he didn't have to wait long.
At noon, Watanabe Shōji arrived with news: The village was extremely supportive of the joint sparring event.
Mitokado Homura had personally allocated funds from the village treasury specifically for the event's organization, the prize pool, and a post-event celebration banquet.
It sounded generous.
However, combining a sparring tournament with a celebration banquet implied one thing: Sasuke would be stuck at school until very late tonight.
Masahiko was willing to bet everything that Danzō would make his move tonight.
But soon, Masahiko didn't need to bet at all.
Because Yakushi Kabuto arrived, bringing the latest intelligence.